


The Bonds of Deership

by JAKQ7111



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Awkward Romance, Claude is a Supportive Friend, Claude von Riegan is a Little Shit, Crushes, F/F, F/M, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Golden Deer Route, Gen, Ignatz is Adorable and Shy, Mentioned My Unit | Byleth, Minor Dorothea Arnault/My Unit | Byleth, Minor Felix Hugo Fraldarius/Leonie Pinelli, Minor Hilda Valentine Goneril/Claude von Riegan, Pre-Time Skip, School Dances
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-12
Updated: 2019-10-12
Packaged: 2020-12-09 14:41:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20996489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JAKQ7111/pseuds/JAKQ7111
Summary: Claude invites the entire Golden Deer class to go to the annual Grand Ball. Little do Ignatz and Marianne know that this is part of a scheme to get the two shy lovebirds to actually talk to each other.





	1. Chapter 1

It was the sixteenth day of the Ethereal Moon, year 1180. Winter was in the air, days were getting shorter, and the students of the Garreg Mach Officer's Academy were concerned with one thing—preparing for the annual White Heron Cup and Grand Ball.

The students of the Golden Deer house were especially lively in discussing their plans and potential dates. They were the largest of the three houses, thanks to the newly esteemed Professor Byleth taking over their class and drawing in three transfer students from the other houses, and had developed a reputation as the “fun-loving” house—a reputation that proved entirely accurate as the entire house gathered in the dining hall at once to plot their course of action for the evening's festivities.

“So, it's decided, then!” Claude began, “We all storm the ballroom together in full force! The other students won't be able to resist the power our bonds of Deership have built up this year, and it will be the best dance ever!”

“Yeah!” Hilda continued, pumping her fist in the air, “Nobody knows how to party like the Golden Deer!”

Raphael chimed in next, “And let's not forget about the buffet that the dining staff will be putting on for us! I can taste the Duscur bear and stuffing now!” he slammed his hands on the table for emphasis.

“Raph, my dude,” Claude continued, placing his hand on the muscle-bound brigand's shoulder, “You've gotta learn to pace yourself with the buffets! Remember, that food is supposed to be for all of us, not just one person!”

“Aw man! You're no fun.” Raphael slumped his shoulders and pouted.

“Now, now. Simmer down, children.” Lorenz interjected, his voice as languid and condescending as ever, “You all are forgetting the most important part of this most momentous event! This is a grand ball, after all, and what grand ball would be complete without an opportunity for courtship and romance to bloom, particularly among those of us in the nobility!”

“Hmph. Romance.” spat Felix, the newest addition to the house, “I can't think of a bigger waste of my time than getting all googly-eyed over someone at some stupid dance!”

“I agree!” Leonie chimed in, “Courtship and fancy balls are for the noble folk, anyway. I know I'd much rather be swinging my sword than swinging my partner around on some silly dance floor!”

Felix nodded curtly in Leonie's direction, just barely mustering what amounted to be a smile on his face.

“Oh, come now. That's hardly the attitude to have!” Dorothea chirped, “Balls and romance are hardly just for the nobles! I'll have you know that we commoners can dance and fall in love just as beautifully as the snooty nobility!” the charming songstress derisively winked at Lorenz as she said those last few words.

The purple-haired nobleman simply sputtered for several seconds with his mouth agape, before finally letting out, “D-don't you have some contest to prepare for, instead of t-teasing your new classmates??”

“Girls, girls, you're both pretty!” Claude spoke up, attempting to resolve the tension between his fellow Deer. “This is not the time for senseless bickering! This is the time that we're supposed to show the other houses that the Golden Deer are the best, most fun house in the whole Academy! We can hardly do that if half of us are bailing and the other half are squabbling amongst ourselves! We're like the Alliance itself—a collection of equals coming together for a common goal! And besides, we're gonna need all hands on deck if we want to keep Lorenz here from embarrassing us all with his latest attempts at 'courtship'!”

Lorenz's face flushed as he crossed his arms and faced away from his jovial house leader.

“And of course!” the archer continued, “We still have one more thing we need to discuss! The obvious crush our very own Ignatz has on a certain someone at the Academy!”

Upon hearing this, the bespectacled artist's face turned bright red. “Claude! I told you and Raphael that in confidence! You swore you wouldn't tell!”

“Hey, don't bring me into this!” Raphael replied, immediately continuing to inhale his third plate of rabbit kebabs.

“If you recall, I swore I wouldn't say who it was!” Claude retorted, “I never said anything about the mere fact that you're interested in someone!”  
Across the table, Marianne's face fell, even more so than usual. She bit her lip, and her eyes looked like they were welling up with tears.

“Ignatz, you've been holding out on us, you scamp!” Sylvain put his arm around the smaller boy's shoulders, “So, who's the lucky girl? Or...guy? Either way, I'd be happy to talk to them for ya!” the red-haired cavalier finished his sentence with a wink and tongue click.

“Sylvain, I'm sure the last thing Ignatz needs is you talking to his crush for him! With your luck, you'd just scare them away!” Lysithea shot back, looking Sylvain dead in the eyes as she spoke.

“None of you are helping, so just drop it!” Ignatz swung his shoulder to free himself from Sylvain's grip, got up from the table, and ran off.

“Damn. This is my fault, isn't it?” Claude looked down at his plate solemnly. “I should fix this. Ignatz, wait up!” the cunning house leader called as he got up to check on his flustered friend.

“Oh, would you look at the time!” Dorothea looked at her nonexistent pocketwatch, “I just remembered that I have to practice for the White Heron Cup tonight! Byesies!” the sword-mage lied as she escaped the awkward tension at the table.

“Subtle, Dorothea. Real subtle.” Hilda groaned as the rest of the Golden Deer dispersed.

Several minutes later, Claude knocked on Ignatz's door, the artistic thief having retired to his dorm room to escape the chaos.

“Ignatz? You in there, buddy?” the dark-haired man asked, “I wanted to apologize for my behavior at lunch.”

“Thank you, Claude.” Ignatz replied, opening the door to his room, “You can come in if you'd like.”

“With pleasure. Thanks, man.” Claude entered, leaning against the wall by the bed.

“Look, I'm sorry I embarrassed you.” he continued, “I know how self-conscious you can get, even when everyone else is teasing each other, and I just wasn't thinking about how you would feel if I talked about your crush in front of Marianne like that.”

“That's alright.” Ignatz replied, looking at his house leader with sad eyes, “I'm just worried about Marianne at this point. I saw how she reacted to what you said; she looked like she was going to cry. I really hope she hasn't figured out that it was her you were talking about, or worse, that she thinks you were talking about someone else! I don't know what I would do if that were the case!”

The sensitive artist slumped onto his bed, taking off his glasses and burying his head in his hands. “What am I going to do now?” he rhetorically asked as he sighed heavily.

“Easy there, buddy.” Claude softly reassured his friend, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder, “Everything's going to be okay. I know how much you care about Marianne, and it's pretty obvious that she's sweet on you, too. I've seen the way you two look at each other during Teach's lectures! It's honestly so cute sometimes that it makes me wanna barf!” he punctuated his sentence with a slight laugh.

“Y-you think so?” Ignatz's voice perking up as he looked up at the cunning schemer.

“Of course I do!” Claude affirmed, “Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I'm pretty good at reading people, and in matters of the heart. And besides, I've got a plan! That is, if you'll hear me out!”

“What's your plan?” the thief asked.

“Well, you already know the first part of it! I didn't just ask the entire house to come to the ball just to ensure that Lorenz and Sylvain keep it in their pants the entire time! No, I did it because that way, both you and Marianne would be guaranteed to show up! I know the two of you, and neither of you are exactly the partying type or anything, so I used the power of Deer loyalty to plant the idea of going to the dance in both of your heads!”

“I didn't think that had anything to do with us!” Ignatz looked shocked that his feelings were considered this important to Claude, “Now, what's the second part?”

“You're going to talk to Marianne and ask her to dance, clearly!” the noble heir grinned and folded his arms behind his head, “It'll be great, trust me!”

“What if I can't bring myself to say anything?” Ignatz broke eye contact with his house leader, beginning to fill up with worry and apprehension.

“Then Hilda or I will help you! I know that putting yourself on the line like that can be really hard, especially if you're shy, but a little encouragement from your classmates can help fix anything!”

“And...what if she says no?” the lovesick young man asked, his voice belying his growing anxiety.

“Then you'll have your friends and fellow Deer to help pick up the pieces!” Claude reassured, “I'll make sure you'd be well taken care of if it comes to that!”

“That's...very kind of you” Ignatz hesitated, taken aback by his friend's promise, “Thanks, Claude. You really helped allay my worries! I guess I'll see you in a few hours when the ball starts!”

“Yeah, you will. Take it easy, Ignatz.” Claude replied, leaving his friend's room.

When the door was closed, Ignatz lay on his back, sighed a heavy sigh of relief, and grinned from ear to ear.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Grand Ball begins as Ignatz searches high and low for Claude, seeking his counsel.

Evening fell at the Garreg Mach Monastery, and the White Heron Cup had just concluded, which finally meant it was time for the annual Grand Ball. As Claude predicted, the entire Golden Deer House was present at the dance, setting the stage for the next phase in his plan to begin.

Ignatz wandered into the ballroom, and was immediately taken aback by the sight of so many of his classmates and teachers gathered in one place. He had always been the introverted type, and being in large, crowded spaces definitely made him slightly anxious. He took a deep breath, looked forward, and began crossing the dance floor in search of his classmates.

Sure enough, he first found Raphael and Lysithea standing by the buffet cart, stuffing their faces with free food. The larger of the pair had a leg of roasted pheasant in one hand, and a fox meat kebab in the other, while the petite girl simply munched on a slice of cake with strawberries on top.

“Oh, hey there Ignatz!” Raphael greeted his childhood friend in between bites of pheasant, “What's up, buddy?”

“Uh, hey, Raphael, Lysithea.” Ignatz breathed shakily, “Have either of you seen Claude around anywhere?”

“Who, me?” the burly brigand asked rhetorically, “Nah. I pretty much booked it straight to the buffet as soon as they let us in after the contest wrapped up. I haven't seen anyone but Lysithea, here.” he looked over at his dining companion as he shoved a piece of the fox kebab into his mouth.

The fair-skinned mage swallowed her mouthful of cake as she replied to Ignatz, “I'm sure he's around here somewhere. After all, it was his idea that we all come to this stupid dance in the first place! If he hadn't made his 'Power of Deership' speech at lunch, I probably would have just stayed home and caught up on studying!”

The nervous artist chuckled slightly at his young friend's statement, “Yeah, you're right. I'm sure he's around here somewhere. Thanks for your help!” he bid the two farewell for now as he went off to look for his house leader.

Before too long, he bumped into Sylvain, who was standing just outside the dance floor, looking on as another young woman walked way from the redhead in a huff.

“Oof! Watch where you're walkin-oh! Hey, Ignatz! Sorry, I didn't see ya there. What's up?” Sylvain asked as he adjusted to look at his classmate.

“Not much. I'm just looking for the others. Have you seen them?” the blond thief continuing to scan the large ballroom for any signs of his fellow Deer.

“Oh, yeah! Looks like Claude has a real way of convincing people to go along with his plans!” Sylvain began, “Raphael and Lysithea are over there, making sure the dining staff are always busy! Lorenz is on the dance floor somewhere, no doubt annoying some poor girl with his lame pick-up lines. Heh, I pity any girl who has to spend more than two seconds listening to that guy drone on like that!”

“Like you're much better!” Ignatz shot back at his amorous companion.

“Ouch, dude. That hurts!” Sylvain feigned a look of anguish for a moment, before picking back up with his roll call, “I know Dorothea's over by the stage, trying to ward off her countless admirers who're no doubt showering her with praise over her White Heron victory! I swear, that girl has more hapless fools falling at her feet than anyone I've ever seen! I almost envy her, that. Anyway, I know everyone's around here somewhere. Heck, even Grumpy-Pants Fraldarius is over in the back corner with Leonie, pretending he doesn't have the hots for her! Dude can gripe about how 'pointless' and 'asinine' dating is all he wants, but I know it's all bluster and that he's a total softie deep down! Of course, don't tell him I told you that, 'cause if he finds out I said that junk about him, he'd give us both a whack to the head with his training sword!” the cavalier finishing his sentence with a hearty laugh.

“Hehe, right!” the artist nodded quickly, “Well, I guess I'll just keep looking around. Thanks, Sylvain!” he waved goodbye as he continued his search.

Before long, Ignatz found himself on the other side of the dance floor, where he finally found Claude, in the middle of a lively partner dance with Hilda. He simply looked on for a few seconds, watching his house leader spin the pink-haired girl out, and then pull her back in as he bent backwards, her back against his chest as they dipped down.

After Claude spins Hilda back out to face him, the pair turn around, the noble archer catching sight of Ignatz standing beside them. He lets go of his dance partner's waist, throws an arm around her shoulders, and addresses his bespectacled classmate.

“Hey, it's Ignatz! I knew I'd find ya here. How's your evening going?”  
“Oh, hi Claude” Ignatz started, “I'm sorry to interrupt your dance. Uh, can I talk to you for a moment?” he asked his house leader and confidant.

“Sure, okay! One sec.” Claude replied, as he turned back to face Hilda.

“Is it alright if Ignatz and I talk privately for a minute? I promise I'll be right back.” the archer smiled at his partner to confirm his sincerity.

“Lemme think about it.” Hilda stroked her chin, pretending to cogitate on Claude's words, “You're dismissed! Of course, that's provided you'll keep your word and come right back to me when you're done!” the pegasus knight putting a hand on the dark-haired lord's cheek before playfully smacking him to send him and Ignatz off for their conversation.

“Thanks, babe!” Claude practically sang before putting his hand on Ignatz's back to guide him to a more secluded spot to talk.

“So, what did you want to talk to me about?” the noble asked his friend, already having some idea of the answer to his question.

“I wanted some advice.” the merchant's son breathed, “What do you think I should say to Marianne when I ask her to dance? What would you do if you were me?”

“Well, that's just it! I'm not you, dude. What works for me is going to be way different than what would work for you! Just be yourself—open and honest about your feelings! I'm sure Marianne will at least respect you for that!”

“Yeah, I guess that's the easy answer, then. Thanks, Claude!” Ignatz smiled at his supportive house leader.

“No problem, buddy! Now go get 'er, my man! Marianne is off to the side of the dance floor, chatting with Hilda. I've got to go that way anyway, since I owe the adorable slacker a dance anyway!” Claude chuckled a bit, “Let's just walk together.”

Ignatz nodded as the two young men walked in the direction of the dance floor.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignatz and Marianne finally get to talk as their classmates encourage and support them.

“A-are you really sure about this, Hilda?” Marianne asked, her voice slightly shaking. “I'm not exactly...the best...at talking to people, and-”

“So what?” the pink-haired pegasus knight cut her shy friend off mid-sentence, “All that means is that you need to practice more! And it's not like Ignatz is exactly a warrior-poet, either! He's just as shy and nervous as you are, so you have nothing to worry about!” she patted the blue-haired girl on the shoulder as she finished talking.

“I know, but...what if it's too hard? What if I can't get the words out? What if he wants nothing to do with me after all? I wouldn't exactly blame him, but...” Marianne's words trailed off as she looked down at the ground, tugging at the ends of her skirt as her eyes filled with tears.

“But nothing, Marianne!” Hilda shouted, exasperated at the priest's self-deprecation, “Since when do any of us want nothing to do with you? We all care about you, and hate hearing you say such mean things to yourself!”

“I'm...sorry.” Marianne whispered, still looking straight at her shoes. “I didn't mean to-”

“Look, Marianne. You beat yourself up way too much, and for no good reason! You're a caring person, a great friend, and Ignatz is crazy about you! I know he hasn't said anything, but he didn't need to! That boy isn't exactly a master of subtlety or anything!” the lively girl giggled a bit thinking about what she just said. “Just talk to him. It'll be fine! And if it doesn't go well, then you'll always have me to dry your tears!”

“Umm...thanks, Hilda. That's...really nice of you to say.” the priest lifted her head slightly to look her friend in the eyes, at least to the best of her ability.

“What are friends for? Now look alive! The boys are heading this way!” Hilda turned to face Claude and Ignatz, who were indeed walking towards the two young women. Hilda ran her hands through her twintails to smooth them out, while Marianne readjusted her skirt.

“Hey, Hilda! Told ya I'd come right back!” Claude greeted the pink-haired girl cheerfully, “And look who we have here! Always a pleasure to see you, Marianne. Thanks for saving my spot on the dance floor for me!”

Marianne tried to meet Claude's gaze, but failed, going right back to looking down at the ground. “Umm, hi Claude.” she quietly replied, “N-nice to see you, too.”  
Ignatz stepped out from behind his house leader and shyly waved at the blue-haired priest. “Uh, hey Marianne!” he started, “I'm glad to see you. I was getting worried that you didn't show up!”

Marianne softly smiled at the merchant's son, “Hi, Ignatz. I'm sorry I didn't see you there.” she replied, apologizing for no real reason.

After a few seconds of awkward silence, the band started playing again. They chose a slow ballad, as the night was beginning to draw to a close. The students and teachers began coupling up and dancing to the beautiful music.

“Nice, a slow dance! About time.” Claude began, “Hilda, may I have this dance?” he offered the pegasus knight his hand.

“It would be my pleasure!” Hilda replied, a bounce in her voice. She took her partner's hand as they moved towards the dance floor, leaving Ignatz and Marianne alone together.

Another several silent seconds passed, which felt like eons to the two shy classmates. Both Ignatz and Marianne tried several times to make eye contact with one another, though it was rather difficult for them. Marianne continued to fidget with her skirt, while Ignatz adjusted his glasses and mussed the back of his hair with his other hand.

Eventually, it was the artist who broke the silence. “Umm, Marianne?” he started to ask, his stomach turning with nerves.

“Yes? What is it?” the priest replied, her voice hushed and slightly breathy.

“I was wondering. Can I...I mean...do you want to-” Ignatz continued, stumbling over his words. He knew this was going to be a difficult question to ask his crush, but he had no idea how difficult it would be.

Luckily, Marianne was perceptive, and deduced what he was going to ask before he could get the words out. She quickly mustered up the courage to reply. 

“Dance with me?” she asked to confirm.

Ignatz began to blush slightly, not expecting her to cut him off that way. “Y-yes.” he replied, “Do you want to?” he asked again.

“Yes, Ignatz. I'd love to.” the blue-haired girl nodded.

“Well, then. Shall we?” the artist reached out his hand. His crush took it as they walked onto the dance floor.

Once the couple made their way onto the floor, Ignatz draped his arms over Marianne's shoulders. Likewise, she wrapped hers around the young man's waist. They began to slowly sway to the beat of the music, feeling themselves enter a rhythm not only with the song, but with each other.

“I-I'm sorry if you aren't enjoying this. I know I'm not a very good dancer.” Marianne once again apologized compulsively as she danced.

Her crush looked nervous again as he replied, “No, not at all! It's really okay. I'm not exactly great at this, either. I'm just...really enjoying spending this time with you.” the artist confessed, his face turning pink as he spoke.

The priest, likewise began to blush. “Th-thank you. You're so nice. I'm enjoying spending time with you, as well.” she smiled a sweet, genuine smile at him as they continued to dance.

Minutes passed by in what seemed like both an instant and an eternity at the same time for the two young lovebirds. They continued to dance in silence, basking in the beauty of the music and in their burgeoning attraction to one another. Before they knew it, the band had finished their final song, and the Grand Ball was over as quickly as it began. Most of the partygoers began to disperse, some heading back to their dorms, others to the library, and others still continued to stay in the ballroom, simply chatting with their friends and loved ones until the staff finished striking the decorations and buffet carts.

Ignatz and Marianne lingered for a while, still comfortably in each other's arms when eventually, the priest spoke up. “So...what should we do now?” she asked her crush and dance partner, just barely managing to look him in the eye before blushing and looking away.

The artist also blushed as he replied, “I'm...not sure. I thought I saw Dorothea and the professor head towards the Goddess Tower. Do you want to head that way as well? Or maybe to the courtyard overlooking the Tower?”

“Sure. The courtyard sounds lovely.” Marianne nodded as she let go of her companion and led him outside.

Garreg Mach Monastery was known for its idyllic scenery year-round, and tonight was no exception. The stars were out, the moon was full, and the primroses were in their full winter bloom. As Ignatz and Marianne walked out to the monastery's courtyard, they did not hesitate to marvel at the night sky.

“Wow.” the artist stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide and his mouth agape as he took in the scenery, “What a gorgeous night!” he said in awe.

Marianne smiled sweetly, caring more about Ignatz's joy than about the scenery itself, “Y-yes. It is.” she replied, looking at his beaming face, glad that the darkness of the night obscured her growing blush.

The pair made their way towards the empty gazebo, sitting side by side on a nearby bench. The two looked at the stars, then back at each other, before blushing and turning their gaze back to the moonlit sky.

“You can sit...closer...if you want.” Ignatz whispered to his companion, still too nervous to look at her beautiful face for more than a second or two at a time. He placed his hand on the wood of the bench in between them, gesturing to where he wanted her to sit.

Marianne nodded slightly, sliding closer to the bespectacled artist, to the point where their shoulders were practically touching. She looked over at him with a faint smile, and he reciprocated, placing an arm around her slim shoulders. Upon feeling Ignatz's touch, the blue-haired priest let out a contented sound of happiness as she relaxed into him, resting her head on his shoulder.

The pink in Ignatz's cheeks darkened to a shade of crimson not unlike the color of his eyes as he breathed deeply, taking in this moment of pure bliss. Before too long, he mustered up the will to speak once again. “Thank you, Marianne, for such a wonderful night.” he softly addressed his crush, looking down at her resting on him.

“Of course.” she replied, “Thank you, too. I've...really enjoyed it, as well.” she smiled wider than she ever had before as she nuzzled the nape of Ignatz's neck.

Ignatz responded by holding her closer to him, placing his other hand on her thigh. She took it, lacing her fingers with his as she looked up at the blushing, beaming artist.

“I- I never want this moment to end.” Marianne breathed, internally thanking the Goddess for allowing her to have this rare moment of happiness with the boy she adored.

“Then let's not let it.” Ignatz replied, squeezing her hand and continuing to hold her tightly and comfortably.

Meanwhile, Claude and Hilda stepped outside, overlooking the two lovebirds from across the courtyard.

“I love it when a plan comes together!” Claude said, proud of the good he did for his friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the shy lovebirds get their dance! I love Ignatz and Marianne so much, and I just knew I had to write some cuteness for my Golden Deer rarepair! I would die for these two, I swear.


End file.
